Purpose of the List

The purpose of this list is two-fold.
First, it was created to help editors decide on the appropriate terms to
use when grouping sites that are related to one another by their form
(e.g., Chat Rooms and Message Boards, News, Directories). This
supports an ODP Guideline for choosing subcategory names:

"Where a
category's resources are related to one another by their form (e.g., Chat
Rooms and Message Boards, News sites, Directories), a good subcategory
name usually uses the word that is used most frequently in other areas in
pertinent top category."

This Preferred Term List saves the editor a
significant amount of time and labor wading through categories to find the
"most frequently" used term. It centralizes the most appropriate and
frequently used terms for categories of sites that are grouped together
based on their form. Secondly, this list was created to help editors
interested in standardizing their subcategories to identify what terms
need to be replaced and what terms to use as replacements.

How to Use the List

For each term, there is a "Preferred Term"
listed in bold face. Underneath you'll see a brief description and
information about the scope of the term. Below that, you'll see a
list of "Use ___ instead of:" terms. These terms actually come from the
directory, and although some might be outdated, they should give editors
an idea of what type of terms need to be replaced. This means that
if you are using any of these terms in your category, you are encouraged
to change the category name to the Preferred term. Changes should be
made in the appropriate Rename/Move/Delete/Sort Requests thread in each
forum.

Also, remember the guideline which suggests that "Helpful subcategory names do not repeat the name of the parent category". Thus, when applying these preferred terms, it is generally best to avoid prefixing the preferred term with all or part of the parent category name. Thus, use Sports/Events rather than Sports/Sporting_Events.

Preferred Term

Maintaining the List

While staff has established this list, it is
expected that the community will be responsible for its future growth,
development and management. Staff will maintain that list in its
current form, but changes will not be made without agreement from the
community. Editors should start and maintain a running Ontology
thread about the maintenance and development of this list. Staff
will monitor the forum and update the list as necessary.

Enforcing the Use of Preferred Terms

While
editors are not required to use the terms on this list for category names,
they are highly recommended in order to create a consistent, predictable, and
standardized taxonomy. Editors are encouraged to use this list, in the
interest of uniform searching across the directory, but it's up to the
editors as to when it's appropriate to use a variation of a term or phrase
when that makes sense for a particular category. Category editors
should consult top level, editall, meta, or even staff editors if they
have a question about when a term is appropriate. Upper level
editors should also promote the use of the Preferred Term list within
their categories.

In addition, editors in some large Directory branches have agreed to use branch-specific preferred terms for their categories. In the case of disagreement between terms in this list and those in branch guidelines, editors are encouraged to use the branch specific term. For example, the Regional template uses Maps_and_Views and Guides_and_Directories rather than the terms in this list. It is recommended that editors become aware of any category naming conventions in areas where they edit.Branch-specific Preferred Terms:

Term Index

Academic Departments

Articles

Chats and Forums

Scope: Use for groups of sites that include links for interactive, real-time online chat rooms, bulletin boards, discussion groups, and message boards.

See Also: Mailing Lists

Use Chats and Forums instead of:

BBS and Chats

Boards and Chats

Bulletin Boards and Chat Rooms

Chat Discussion

Chat Rooms

Chat Rooms IRC ICQ

Chat and Bulletin Boards

Chat and Discussion

Chat and Discussion Boards

Chat and Discussion Forums

Chat and Message Boards

Chat and Support

Chat and Support Groups

Chat, Discussion, ICQ

Chat, Lists, Etc.

Chat, Message Boards and Discussion Groups

Chat-Rooms

Chat-Zone

Chatrooms

Chats

Chats and Bulletin Boards

Chats and Discussion Forums

Chats and Discussions

Chats and Message Boards

Chats, Discussions, ICQ

Discussion

Discussion Boards

Discussion Forums

Discussion Groups

Discussion Groups and Forums

Discussion Lists

Discussion Lists and Forums

Discussion Sites

Discussion and Chat Groups

Email Discussion Hosts

Forums

Forums and Chats

Forums and Discussions

Message Boards and Chat Rooms

Message Boards, Chat Rooms and Mailing Lists

Networking and Chat

Newsgroups and Forums

On-line Chat

Online Chat

Online Discussion

Online Discussion Groups

Online Issues Discussions

Real-time chat

Support Groups and Chatting

Web Discussion Boards

Webchat

Conferences

Scope: Use for formal and informal conferences, meetings, trade shows, workshops, and associated events. Use Events for sporting, social recreational, or entertainment gatherings only.

See Also: Events

Use Conferences instead of:

Conferences

Conferences and Conventions

Conferences and Exhibitions

Conferences and Meetings

Conferences and Retreats

Conferences and Trade Shows

Conferences and Workshops

Conventions

Events and Workshops

Industry Events

Networking - Events - Conferences

Trade Shows

Directories

Scope: Use for sites containing alphabetical or classified lists of resources covering a particular subject area. Directories is used in place of Guides for sites which provide a straight list of sites, sometimes with a brief description and not, generally, including additional information.

See Also: Guides | Resources | Search Engines

Use Directories instead of:

Directories and Links Collections

Directories and Lists

Directories and Portals

Directories-n-Resources

Free Searchable Links

General Directories and Links

General Info-Resources

General Links

Indexes and Directories

Indexes-Links

Internet Directories and Portals

Internet Gateways

Link Collections and Pointers

Link Lists

Link Pages

Link Sites

Links

Links Pages

Links and Portals

Links and Resources

Lists of Sites

News Indexes

Online Directories

Portal Sites

Portals

Portals, Directories, and Guides

Portals, Resources, Links

Resource and Link Sites

Resources, Educational, Link Lists

Search Engines and Web Directories

Search Engines, Directories and Links

Statewide Directories

Web Directories

Web Directories and Indices

Web Directories and Search Engines

Web Directory

Web Indexes

Web Links

Web Portals

Weblinks

Webportals

Education

Scope: Use as a broad term covering all educational aspects of a topical area, including lists of schools, curricula, courses, syllabi; as well as sites intended for students. The narrower term may be used as a subcategory or it may stand alone. If they are stand alone categories there should not be an Education category.

Use Education instead of:

Academia

Education Courses

Education and Academia

Education and Instruction

Education and Language Schools

Education and Learning

Education and Research

Education and Schools

Education and Training

Institutes and Schools

Instruction and Education

Learning, Education and Training

Schools and Education

Training and Academic Programs

Training and Education

Academic Departments

Scope: Use for lists of Academic departments.

Use Academic Departments instead of:

Academia

Schools and Instruction

Scope: Use for lists of schools; as well as training and instructional programs in applied and non-academic areas. Schools and Instruction can be a stand alone category or it may be a subcategory under Education.

Use Schools and Instruction instead of:

Courses and Schools

Major Schools

Schools

Schools and Training Centers

Schools and Training Institutions

Training

Training and Schools

Employment

Scope: Use to list all career and employment sites for the topical area, including job listings.

Use Employment instead of:

Careers

Employment Opportunities

Employment Resources

Jobs

Jobs and Positions

Jobs and Work Related

Jobs, Recruiting and Employment Services

Events

Scope: Use for sporting, social, recreational, or entertainment gatherings only. For organized meetings, Use Conferences.

See Also: Conferences

Use Events instead of:

Concerts and Events

Events and Festivals

Festivals and Events

Major Events

FAQs, Help, and Tutorials

Scope: Includes collections of FAQ, Help and Tutorial sites on a particular topic.

Fan Art

Fan Fiction

Fan Pages

Scope: Use for sites that were created by and for enthusiasts of a particular topic, person, organization, etc.

See Also: Fan Works

Use Fan Pages instead of:

Fan Clubs

Fan Clubs and Zines

Fan Sites

Fan Tributes

Fan and Tribute Pages

Fansubs

Fanzines

General Fan Pages

Miscellaneous Fan Pages

Fan Works

Scope: Use as an umbrella category, which may include the narrower terms as subcategories. Fan Fiction and Fan Art can also stand on their own as categories if Fan Works is not being used.

Use Fan Works instead of:

Fan Art

Fan Fiction

Guides

Scope: Use for web sites that provide guiding information on a subject or about a place, example, travel, dining, buyer's, price, etc. Guides is used in place of Directories when the sites in the categories provide information beyond a simple listing and description. For example, a travel guide would include information on the best places to go in a location in addition to links.

See Also: Directories

Use Guides instead of:

Activity Guides

Buyer's Guides

Buyers Guides

City Guides

Content Guides

Country Guides

Dining Guides

Directories and Guides

Episode Guides

General Guides

Guidebooks

Guides and Directories

Guides and Indices

Guides, Tutorials, and Documentation

Hotel Guides

Major Guides

Online Guides

Price Guides

Regional Guides

State Guides

Theme Park Guides

Tourist Guides

Travel Guides

Travel Guides and Directories

Web Guide

Web Portals and Guides

History

Scope: Use for sites which provide historical information on a topic.

Use History instead of:

Historic

Historical

Historical Incidents

Image Galleries

Scope: Sites which are only or predominantly pictures and images. Often used in Celebrity categories.

Internet Service Providers

Journals

Magazines and E-zines

Mailing Lists

Scope: Use for sites about electronic discussion groups whose communications are transmitted over email.

See Also: Chats and Forums

Use Mailing Lists instead of:

E-mail Lists

Email Lists and Newsgroups

Lists and Newsletters

Listserv

Listservs

Mailing List

Mailing Lists and E-Mail Newsletters

Maps

Scope: Used to classify sites that contain maps of places.

Use Maps instead of:

Atlas

Atlases

Directions and Maps

Map

Maps and Directions

News and Media

Scope: Use as an umbrella category for news services, newspapers, books, magazines and e-zines, and journals. The narrower terms may be used as subcategories or may be stand alone categories. If they stand alone, there should be no News and Media category.

See Also: Journals | Magazines and E-zines | Research | Reviews

Use News and Media instead of:

News

Publications and Media

Articles

Scope: For collections of listings which are, in general, single non-scientific articles (as opposed to large sites). Articles which focus on reviewing a product or service belong in a Reviews category. Collections of scientific articles fall under either Research or Journals categories.

See Also: Journals | Magazines and E-zines | Research | Reviews

Use Articles instead of:

Articles and Essays

Articles and Interviews

Articles and Papers

Articles and Reports

Columns and Articles

Essays

Essays and Articles

Online Articles

Journals

Scope: Regularly issued scholarly publications that deal with a particular subject or professional activity. Can be placed at the same level as News and Media if the editor prefers. Use Magazines and E-zines for non-scholarly publications.

Use Journals instead of:

Academic Journals

Books, Magazines and Journals

Full text journals

Journals and Forums

Journals and Preprints

Journals and Publishers

Newsletters-Journals-Magazines

Publications and Journals

Search engines, journals, links, descriptions etc.

Magazines and E-zines

Scope: Regularly issued publications containing articles and illustrations, typically covering a particular subject or area of interest. Use Journals for professional and scholarly periodicals.

Use Magazines and E-zines instead of:

Books and Magazines

Books, Magazines and Articles

Clips and Magazines

E-zines

E-zines and Magazines

Magazines

Magazines - Online and Paper

Magazines and Periodicals

Magazines, Newsletters, and E-Zines

News and Magazines

Newsletters

Newspapers and Magazines

Newspapers, Magazines, Newsletters, Etc.

Periodicals and Magazines

Publications and Magazines

Trade Magazines

Zines

Zines and Magazines

Newspapers

Scope: Use for sites offering online versions of newspapers or information about print versions.

Newspapers

Opposing Views

Scope: Used for collections of sites which offer alternative or contrary opinions to those in another ODP category.

Use Opposing Views instead of:

Alternative Approaches

Alternative Views

Alternatives

Competing Views

Competition

Organizations

Scope: Either of the above terms may be used depending on the types of sites the category contains. Organizations are generally any organized body of people such as the Boy Scouts. Associations are used more in industry. Use to classify sites for organizations, associations, clubs, and any other organized body of people with a particular purpose, especially a business, government department or charity.

Use Organizations instead of:

Associations and Clubs

Associations and Events

Clubs + Groups

Clubs and Associations

Clubs and Groups

Clubs and Organizations

Clubs and Societies

Conventions and Organisations

Conventions and Organizations

Organisations

Organisations and Clubs

Organizations and Clubs

Societies

Societies and Clubs

State and Local Associations and Clubs

Personal Pages

Scope: Collection of web pages about an individual or group and their interests.

Use Personal Pages instead of:

Home Page

Home Pages

Homepage

Homepages

Personal Collections

Personal Home pages

Personal Homepages

Personal Page

Personal Pages

Personal Scrapbooking Sites

Personal Sites

Personal Web Pages

Personal Web Sites

Personal Webpages

Personal Websites

Recordings

Scope: Use only for sites containing audio files and resources that pertain to the parent category. Use as subcategory for commercial sites selling audio recordings.

Use Recordings instead of:

Audio Books

Audio Files

Audio Readings

Audio Recordings

Audio Resources

Audiorecordings

Sound Recordings

Soundrecordings

Research

Scope: Use for sites which present research results, or describe formal research programs or organizations. Organizations/departments which offer educational programs are better listed under Education or Academic Departments.

Use Research instead of:

Articles and Research

Projects and Research

Research Centers

Research Centers and Laboratories

Research Councils

Research Groups

Research Institutes

Research Organizations

Research Papers

Research Programs

Research Projects

Research and Academia

Research and Development

Research and Laboratories

Research and Reports

Theory and Research

Resources

Scope: Use to classify sites whose purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview of a particular subject area. Resource sites typically include general information about a topic, and provide directories, FAQs, chats and forums, publications etc. Generally, the sites that could be placed in a Resources category should reside at the top level. A Resources category should only be created if there is a significant number of sites to list and there is a compelling reason to do so, for example, a top level category. In general, most categories will not need a Resources subcategory as the general sites *should* be at the top level.

Schools and Instruction

Search Engines

Scope: Used for sites that offer a subject specific search engine. This category should be used for sites where the primary focus is to search the internet broadly (e.g. Altavista) for a particular topic as opposed to being a Directory of sites.

See Also: Directory

Use Search Engines instead of:

Online Search

Internet Search

Search Sites

Web Search

Software

Scope: Use for sites which offer software in any of its forms, whether it be compiled programs, source code, scripts, machine code, etc.

Use Software instead of:

Desktop Software

Scripts

Scripts and Programs

Software Solutions

Software and Applications

Software and Computer Control

Software and Scripts

Software and Tools

Software for Collectors

Travel

Scope: Use as an umbrella category for collections of travel resources, including travel agents, tour operators, and other travel providers; lodging; travel advice; travelogues; or other resources.

Use Travel instead of:

Adventures

Touring

Tourism

Tours

Travel Programs

Travel and Adventure

Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tours

Vacations

Vacations and Touring

Trivia

Scope: Used for sites that offer topical trivia.

Use Trivia instead of:

Information and Trivia

Trivia and Word Games

Web Rings

Scope: Used for sites that represent collections of related web sites.

Use Web Rings instead of:

BBS Web Rings

BBS Webrings

Webrings

Webcams

Scope: Use for sites displaying live video through cameras which are connected to the web.